Dragon Age Toolset Wiki - User contributions [en]

Community Contest 5: Room Contest

2010-11-23T19:35:59Z

-Semper-: /* Library by Semper */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

'''Create an indoor room and export it as a SEL for other modders to paste into their levels.''' The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/12096/1180655/ here].

'''DEADLINE: Monday 29 November''' - your entry must be ready for judging before midday GMT+0. It is strongly recommended you submit well before this time (sunday!) in case you run into troubles. Modifications to your submission are welcomed - the newest version of your entry will be judged, although modifications made ''after'' the submission date will not be judged.

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* be submitted as a SEL (see tutorial)
* make suitable use of folders to organise the lights and models
* have doorways or suitable plug pieces to enter/exit the room
* contain lights to illuminate the room

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* be distinctive, but suitable for use in a variety of modules
* make good and varied use of environment models
* make suitable use of VFX such as light rays, candle flames, etc where needed
* ensure that lighting looks good in-game

=== Suggestions ===
Forge, armory, servants' quarters, bedchamber, tavern bedroom, tavern drinking hall, feast hall, indoor stage theater, kitchen, dungeon, torture room, prison cell, mausoleum, creature's lair, chapel, training room, barracks, meeting room, dining room, vault, guardhouse, groundskeeper's lodge, stable.

=== Allowable ===
While no "bonus points" will be given for the following, entries may:
* include multiple rooms - particularly if creating a "tileset of rooms".
* include custom props - if you do this you must state clearly on the contest page that your entry is using custom assets. ''Please avoid this unless absolutely necessary for your room - we want these SEL files to be as easily usable as possible.''

=== Not Allowable ===
Please:
* do not cut-paste from a DAO level without making serious modifications to "make it your own"
* do not submit an entire level as your work. consider what will make USEFUL rooms for slotting into a module. For example, corridors are generally not useful for slot-ins.

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* Best Newcomer - 3 points (unless 1st, 2nd or 3rd place)
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Best Newcomer Award ===
Every judge may nominate one newcomer as their favourite newcomer entry. To qualify, the entrant must not have submitted to a community contest before. The winning newcomer will receive three points if they don't podium (in which case, theyll be getting more points anyway!).

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful Links ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03WoLxjm-bs Contest 5 video tutorial]
* [[Level_editor|Level Editor]] - Builder Wiki
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] - Builder Wiki

= Entries =

=== Entry File(s) ===

'''File Contents:'''
* one or more SEL files
* if you have any custom props etc, include those and their source files if appropriate. ''(please try and just use DA stuff for this contest to keep things simple)''

'''File Format:'''
one .7z file (preferred)

=== Checklist ===

# Create your file (see above)
# Create a [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/ Dragon Age Nexus] page for your entry and upload the above file. Please include "Community Contest" in the title.
# Edit this page with a description and pictures of your content.
#* Please include pictures which are both functional as well as attractive (so your work can be seen clearly)
#* Link to your DA Nexus page. See the sample entry.
# Optionally, let us know in the [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/12096/1180655/ Contest Discussion Thread] that you've entered

For the general entry guidelines (as well as more detail on the above steps), please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

== Consent to Share ==

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared (prop models, VFXProj files).
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA assets).
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== Example Entry by mikemike37==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 Dragon Age Nexus project page]''' (sample entry not shared, its just a SEL file in a 7zip though.)
This is just a sample entry for others to see the sort of thing judges might expect to see, and the format in which it has been submitted.

[[File:CC5_mike_roomtop.jpg|303px|Room Plan]] [[File:CC5_mike_roomcorner.jpg|400px|Room Glamour Shot]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

== Inn Bedrooms by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1898 Dragon Age Nexus project page]'''

A small room including two bedrooms and a stairway down to a lower floor.

Note: There is a door way that leads to "nothing" on the same floor as the bedrooms; this can lead to another bedroom (or any other room) or replaced with a normal wall.

As this room uses interior lighting, I HIGHLY recommend reading this page to avoid wierd shadows: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/74/index/4700291

Note: This is a .sel file, meaning it is imported into a room level through "import selection" from the edit menu.

PS: I was going to submit the tavern common room for this contest, but it seemed a bit sparse. Check out the inn in the module "Scars of War" to see this room and the common room side-by-side. ;)

[[File:Cc5_jackkel_screen.jpg|300px|Toolset Screenshot]]

== Dead Room by Shadow5973 ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1901 Dragon Age Nexus project page]'''

There are two bedrooms connected by a short hallway with a body in each of the rooms. There is also a doorway in each room where they can be attached to a larger building interior. The bedrooms could be used for part of the inside of a house or similar building after an attack by bandits or darkspawn.

NOTE:
This a .sel file to be imported into the toolset.

This room uses interior lighting, so this page might be helpful: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/74/index/4700291

[[File: Image 1.png|400px|]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

== Banqueting Hall by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1899 Dragon Age Nexus project page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3783/ BSN project page]'''

After a hard day of battles and fights, the evening is the right moment to take a rest, banqueting and sharing the treasures with your comrades.
Eat, drink and enjoy your time: you deserve it.

NOTE:
This is a .sel file to be imported into the toolset.

[[File: Panoramic.jpg|400px|]] [[File: Throne.jpg|400px|]]

[[File: Plant.jpg|400px|]] [[File: Cooking_table.jpg|400px|]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

== Library by Semper ==

* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3811/ BSN project page]'''

A dusty and old place for everybody brave enough to discover the long forgotten tales hidden within ancient books. The piles of books are taller than a dwarf - that is why usually at least two dwarfs are working at libraries.

NOTE:
This is a .sel file to be imported into the toolset. The entrance upstairs is this dark to provide easy integration to other levels to keep the atmosphere of the hallway/entrance leading to the library.

[[File:Entrance iso.jpg|400px|ISO View Entrance]] [[File:Overview.jpg|400px|Overview Library]]

[[File:Fireplace.jpg|400px|Fireplace]] [[File:Details.jpg|400px|Details]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

Community Contest 5: Room Contest

2010-11-22T19:26:57Z

-Semper-: /* Entries */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

'''Create an indoor room and export it as a SEL for other modders to paste into their levels.''' The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/12096/1180655/ here].

'''DEADLINE: Monday 29 November''' - your entry must be ready for judging before midday GMT+0. It is strongly recommended you submit well before this time (sunday!) in case you run into troubles. Modifications to your submission are welcomed - the newest version of your entry will be judged, although modifications made ''after'' the submission date will not be judged.

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* be submitted as a SEL (see tutorial)
* make suitable use of folders to organise the lights and models
* have doorways or suitable plug pieces to enter/exit the room
* contain lights to illuminate the room

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* be distinctive, but suitable for use in a variety of modules
* make good and varied use of environment models
* make suitable use of VFX such as light rays, candle flames, etc where needed
* ensure that lighting looks good in-game

=== Suggestions ===
Forge, armory, servants' quarters, bedchamber, tavern bedroom, tavern drinking hall, feast hall, indoor stage theater, kitchen, dungeon, torture room, prison cell, mausoleum, creature's lair, chapel, training room, barracks, meeting room, dining room, vault, guardhouse, groundskeeper's lodge, stable.

=== Allowable ===
While no "bonus points" will be given for the following, entries may:
* include multiple rooms - particularly if creating a "tileset of rooms".
* include custom props - if you do this you must state clearly on the contest page that your entry is using custom assets. ''Please avoid this unless absolutely necessary for your room - we want these SEL files to be as easily usable as possible.''

=== Not Allowable ===
Please:
* do not cut-paste from a DAO level without making serious modifications to "make it your own"
* do not submit an entire level as your work. consider what will make USEFUL rooms for slotting into a module. For example, corridors are generally not useful for slot-ins.

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* Best Newcomer - 3 points (unless 1st, 2nd or 3rd place)
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Best Newcomer Award ===
Every judge may nominate one newcomer as their favourite newcomer entry. To qualify, the entrant must not have submitted to a community contest before. The winning newcomer will receive three points if they don't podium (in which case, theyll be getting more points anyway!).

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful Links ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03WoLxjm-bs Contest 5 video tutorial]
* [[Level_editor|Level Editor]] - Builder Wiki
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] - Builder Wiki

= Entries =

=== Entry File(s) ===

'''File Contents:'''
* one or more SEL files
* if you have any custom props etc, include those and their source files if appropriate. ''(please try and just use DA stuff for this contest to keep things simple)''

'''File Format:'''
one .7z file (preferred)

=== Checklist ===

# Create your file (see above)
# Create a [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/ Dragon Age Nexus] page for your entry and upload the above file. Please include "Community Contest" in the title.
# Edit this page with a description and pictures of your content.
#* Please include pictures which are both functional as well as attractive (so your work can be seen clearly)
#* Link to your DA Nexus page. See the sample entry.
# Optionally, let us know in the [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/12096/1180655/ Contest Discussion Thread] that you've entered

For the general entry guidelines (as well as more detail on the above steps), please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

== Consent to Share ==

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared (prop models, VFXProj files).
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA assets).
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== Example Entry by mikemike37==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 Dragon Age Nexus project page]''' (sample entry not shared, its just a SEL file in a 7zip though.)
This is just a sample entry for others to see the sort of thing judges might expect to see, and the format in which it has been submitted.

[[File:CC5_mike_roomtop.jpg|303px|Room Plan]] [[File:CC5_mike_roomcorner.jpg|400px|Room Glamour Shot]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

== Inn Bedrooms by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1898 Dragon Age Nexus project page]'''

A small room including two bedrooms and a stairway down to a lower floor.

Note: There is a door way that leads to "nothing" on the same floor as the bedrooms; this can lead to another bedroom (or any other room) or replaced with a normal wall.

As this room uses interior lighting, I HIGHLY recommend reading this page to avoid wierd shadows: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/74/index/4700291

Note: This is a .sel file, meaning it is imported into a room level through "import selection" from the edit menu.

PS: I was going to submit the tavern common room for this contest, but it seemed a bit sparse. Check out the inn in the module "Scars of War" to see this room and the common room side-by-side. ;)

[[File:Cc5_jackkel_screen.jpg|300px|Toolset Screenshot]]

== Dead Room by Shadow5973 ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1901 Dragon Age Nexus project page]'''

There are two bedrooms connected by a short hallway with a body in each of the rooms. There is also a doorway in each room where they can be attached to a larger building interior. The bedrooms could be used for part of the inside of a house or similar building after an attack by bandits or darkspawn.

NOTE:
This a .sel file to be imported into the toolset.

This room uses interior lighting, so this page might be helpful: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/74/index/4700291

[[File: Image 1.png|400px|]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

== Banqueting Hall by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1899 Dragon Age Nexus project page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3783/ BSN project page]'''

After a hard day of battles and fights, the evening is the right moment to take a rest, banqueting and sharing the treasures with your comrades.
Eat, drink and enjoy your time: you deserve it.

NOTE:
This is a .sel file to be imported into the toolset.

[[File: Panoramic.jpg|400px|]] [[File: Throne.jpg|400px|]]

[[File: Plant.jpg|400px|]] [[File: Cooking_table.jpg|400px|]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

== Library by Semper ==

* '''[placeholder link BSN project page]'''

A dusty and old place for everybody brave enough to discover the long forgotten tales hidden within ancient books. The piles of books are taller than a dwarf - that is why usually at least two dwarfs are working at libraries.

NOTE:
This is a .sel file to be imported into the toolset. The entrance upstairs is this dark to provide easy integration to other levels to keep the atmosphere of the hallway/entrance leading to the library.

[[File:Entrance iso.jpg|400px|ISO View Entrance]] [[File:Overview.jpg|400px|Overview Library]]

[[File:Fireplace.jpg|400px|Fireplace]] [[File:Details.jpg|400px|Details]]

=== Judges' Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

File:Details.jpg

2010-11-22T19:15:04Z

-Semper-:

File:Fireplace.jpg

2010-11-22T19:14:48Z

-Semper-:

File:Overview.jpg

2010-11-22T19:14:27Z

-Semper-:

File:Entrance iso.jpg

2010-11-21T14:59:27Z

-Semper-: uploaded a new version of "File:Entrance iso.jpg"

File:Entrance iso.jpg

2010-11-21T14:54:53Z

-Semper-: uploaded a new version of "File:Entrance iso.jpg"

File:Entrance iso.jpg

2010-11-21T14:54:25Z

-Semper-: uploaded a new version of "File:Entrance iso.jpg"

File:Entrance iso.jpg

2010-11-21T14:42:08Z

-Semper-:

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-17T21:48:57Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the skyline was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

'''Adonnay'''

+ Great Atmosphere but I understand why you wanted more fog. Discovering the ruins while walking through would have been a great effect. 
+ Nice details like the merchant weagon and the separated tents 
- Large portions of the map have no vegetation and seem more desert like than a swamp, perhaps a different ground texture would help. 

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)
* clouds are too pixelated

'''Adonnay''' on Belgray

+ Day/Night variations 
+ Good use of houses and terrain 
- Seems a little "clean", could use a little more props 
- unreachable building in the back of the village 

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geometry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

'''Adonnay''' on Ojardsi

+ Dark atmosphere, feels like the end of the world with all those mixed architecture and the reddish ground 
- I usually don't go too much into the technical side but the tiling could use some retouching and many of the collisions are missing 
- The mixed architecture is a bit overdone in some places and feels a little out of place 
- Large unused areas should be avoided 

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

'''Adonnay''' on Sylvhaven

+ Great viking/norse themed village 
+ Nice marketplace with distinct "shops" 
+ Good (=rare) use of ruins on the hill, unfortunately not reachable, would make a nice place for some worshippers 
- Palisades should not only cover the entrance but the whole hill 
- Piers are a little too cluttered, front piers cannot be reached (would make a nice panorama spot) 

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

'''Adonnay''' on Hillside Village

+ Fitting dark atmosphere 
+ Lots of details like tools, a building site and gardens 
- Ruin entrance seems a little misplaced and artificial 

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

'''Adonnay''' on Village in the River

+ Great, original idea 
+ With the right ambient sound the waterfall will really make an impression 
+ Nice temple and impressive palisades 
- Many prop popups (lookout tower, temple gargoyles), not sure if this are technical limitations 
- Very few props/details 
- The level borders seem very artificial (sharp edges, only one treeline that can be seen through), probably engine limitations 

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

'''Adonnay''' on Hakkon's Gift

+ Amazing Panorama 
+ Great many details and recognizable professsions 
+ Really like the cavern entrance, the ice (plus fishermen's tents) and the shaman hut 
- Palisades slightly overused 
- Could use a little more huts to cover some of the open spaces 

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

'''Adonnay''' on Evermist

+ Great use of crops, gardens and fences 
+ The river and the bridges are a nice touch 
+ Slum/alienage for the poor? Certainly realistic 
+ Quite large without beeing repetetive 
- Some collision issues and see through parts (i.e. the "shrine" on the hill, a hole in the door to the fort) 
- Level could use more collision borders to prevent getting to close to the edges since the tree textures are very crude 

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design with stunning atmosphere
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default cottages seem out of place with so many terracotta roofs around
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

'''Adonnay''' on Village by the Sea

+ Awesome panorama with the three windmills and the rolling hills 
+ Many details 
+ Nice mediterranean atmosphere 
+ Very nice castle, I wish I could walk through the gate 
- No harbour or pier of any sort seems unlikely for a village at the sea 
- the sea feels a bit bland

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:27:04Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the skyline was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)
* clouds are too pixelated

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design with stunning atmosphere
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default cottages seem out of place with so many terracotta roofs around
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:26:23Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the skyline was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design with stunning atmosphere
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default cottages seem out of place with so many terracotta roofs around
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:25:39Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design with stunning atmosphere
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default cottages seem out of place with so many terracotta roofs around
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:24:53Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design with stunning atmosphere
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default cottages seem out of place with all of this terracotta roofs
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:23:56Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design with stunning atmosphere
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default hutts seem out of place with all of this terracotta roofs
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:15:28Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default hutts seem out of place with all of this terracotta roofs
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring
* sunlight is a bit too bright

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:14:57Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

'''semper'''

comments:
* unique level design
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* ambient animations - great!
* full of details with lots of props
* the default hutts seem out of place with all of this terracotta roofs
* the one tree near the wall of the sea is sunken into ground
* the ground texture of the right side with the 4 windmills looks too boring

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:10:00Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

'''semper'''

comments:
* tree line is too near in distance and looks flat, better use a bigger terrain size and tree nodes
* floating buildings
* on top of the hill there's a model "bug" where you can look through the uncovered background of a door prop
* no terrain collision
* windmill without ambient animation (just select the windmill prop and type "wind" within the default animation tab of the object inspector)
* the terrain mesh is too flat
* a lot of details and a very good usage of props
* the fence prop is heavily used - try to breake this up

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:05:38Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

'''semper'''

comments:
* full of details with lots of props
* very unique level design
* very good usage of vista objects
* the surrounding fence is too repetitive, try to break this up
* good lighting
* try to highlight the walking path

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T16:02:22Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

'''semper'''

comments:
* there's no light probe so the character shadows are too dark
* better use tree nodes instead of the vista tree line - looks too flat
* try to create lod meshes for the objects used with the buildings to avoid a pop up effect
* the cliffs could use more tesselation, props and a better texture usage to avoid the repetitive for the eye
* uv tiling of the ground texture is too big in size
* floating trees near the right cliff
* unique buildings
* try to break up the surrounding wall with destroyed parts and towers or a construction site to keep it interesting

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:57:00Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of the grass texture is too big in size
* atmosphere is stunning
* very well fleshed out level mesh
* level lighting is a bit too yellowish
* full of details, very good usage of props and vista objects

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:55:15Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* collision usage to prevent the player falling off the piers
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:51:56Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

'''semper'''

comments:
* the terrain collision is bugged at the "catwalk". the player can't walk down the sides which feels odd.
* level lighting is too bright - doesn't fit the sky
* very good usage of props and full of details
* the sea is gorgeous
* good usage of vista objects, besides the trees in the background - better use tree nodes for this

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:45:35Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

'''semper'''

comments:
* the uv tiling of the texures is too big in size
* the level lighting is too flat, wrongly colored and comes right from the front instead from above
* the level geomatry lacks tesselation
* the ground texture is overly used and therefore the walkable path is hardly noticeable
* very good and monumental buildings
* better use of terrain collision

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:40:18Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

comments:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:39:57Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

improvements:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

'''semper'''

comments:
* uv tiling of textures is too big in size
* a lot more props and vegetaion would improve the atmosphere
* floating houses
* no vista objects - the feeling of a big world is lost
* the ship in the sea could use an animation (select the boat prop and type "boat" in the default animation tab within the object inspector)

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:31:03Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

improvements:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:30:49Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

improvements:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetation
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 1: Settlement Level

2010-09-16T15:30:18Z

-Semper-: /* Judges Comments */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]] [[File:CC_BSN_GetInvolved.jpg|link=http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/&v=discussions]]

== Brief ==

Design a town/village/hamlet level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9469/ here]. Deadline was Monday 13 September.

'''Contest is now closed, please pick up the bundle [http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1559 from here] to see all the great entries! Winners will be announced Monday 20.'''

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* portray a "friendly" settlement of some kind
* be complete - do not enter a small section of a larger city, unless you also submit the rest of the city.
* lvl source as well as exported layout files must be included. ''(.lvl file, as well as the folder generated by Do All Local Posts, which can be found: My Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Addins/(addinname)/Core/Override/ToolsetExport/(layout))''
* contain at least the "outdoor" level. Additional rooms are optional, but if included, areas must be set up with area transitions.
* be submitted before monday 13 september midday (GMT+0)

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* ... have around a dozen or so buildings and outhouses. Consideration will be made for extending the level by adding interior levels.
* ... visually portray the towns primary function such as fishing town, mining town, farm town, etc. For example, a farm town might include features like a miller, grocery market and bakery. A defensive outpost might have a wall around it.
* ... consider access to the town. This may inlude roads, paths, harbours, etc.
* ... include an area resource to add a handful of important interactive objects, such as doors. The town doesn’t need to be populated in this contest.
* ... have considered the sky and surrounding environment in the distance.
* ... be usable in a variety of mods. Please don’t go too overboard with weird additions such as crashed alien ships or other features that would make it extremely specific to a module.
* ... prioritise level design over custom content. While custom props are allowed, such contributions must be shared with the level and will not gain "bonus points". You should try entering any custom props you make to our [[Community_Contest_2:_Prop_Model|second contest]]!

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful tutorials ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4SgkiYUsw Complete Outdoor Level Making Video Guide] by mikemike37 (recorded for this contest)
* [[Level|Level Editor]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Level_Editor_Tutorial|Level Editor Tutorial]] by various (Builder Wiki)
* [[Making a new, playable module]] by Fen Tabris
* [[Building levels]] by Fen Tabris
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWKgj2ZuXo Custom Level and Room Building] video tutorial by [http://social.bioware.com/64020/ st4rdog].
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialLightmapping Lightmapping guide and troubleshooting] by mikemike37
* [[Model_list|Model List]] - Wiki list of prop/structural models with pictures
* [http://social.bioware.com/project/3270/ DA Toolset Prop List] - Downloadable prop list files - .doc and .xls

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

For information on Judging, please see the [[Community_Contest_Judging|Judging]] page.

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The work *MUST* be your own (obviously you may use DA props and selection groups).
Do not use custom props unless you have explicit consent from the author to share. You must include them with your level.
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved If your work is taken down.
If your work is taken down, you allow for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== The Swamp by Ponozsticka ==

* '''[[CC_The_Swamp_by_Ponozsticka|Full Wiki Page]]'''
* '''[http://dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1599 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

As you can see from screenshots and other files, the village is situated in the middle of the swamp, among ancient ruins of the city that used to be there long time ago (before the place turned into a swamp). Remainings of the city can be seen to the north of the settlement, while southern roads are being used by merchants, this way there are less plants (carriage wheels, walking etc.)

Village itself is surrounded by wooden fences, to secure it from anything that might come from the swamp. In the middle of the village you can find the market, while the outskirt serves as camp for merchantes or traspassers.

[[File:Plot2.jpg|400px|Fences]] [[File:Swamp13.jpg|400px|The Fog in the Village]]

=== Judges Comments ===
'''mikemike37'''

Nice use of fog and overcast sky. Lillies look great :) nice expansive level. great use of vegetation.

Improvements: a darker ground texture would help the ground look more saturated/peaty. Fewer trees at level edge, placed at depth, rather than making one solid wall? More vegetation in playable area/settlement? Tilted ruins "sinking into swamp"? Where was lightprobe placed - water reflection doesn't seem to match level?

'''semper'''

improvements:
* another color for the sunlight - the level is covered in fog but still there's yellow light shining at the chars
* although it's a swamp the level mesh is too flat in the walkable area
* more vegetation in playable area
* the trees in the distance are too repetitive. better use a varation of trees combined with a vista tree line and a more 3d placing.
* floating vegetaion
* personally i found the distance fog too dense. the sky line was covered in white. i would have created it darker and played with sea fog, the prop where the fog only covers the ground.

== Settlement of Belgray by Jackkel Dragon ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1635 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Belgray is a small human settlement in the Brecilian Passage, on the road to Gwaren. It is nestled in the hills in the southern part of the Brecilian Forest, and a mountain stream provides water and travel into the forest. A mountain trail leads to the main road to Gwaren.

This is a small area (~ 64m x 32m walkable). It is best used in a hilly area near water. The name, of course, can be changed to whatever fits the setting best. There is a night version of the area that has a lit bonfire along with altered lighting.

[[File:CC1_jackkel_day1.jpg|250px|Day 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_day2.jpg|250px|Day 2]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night1.jpg|250px|Night 1]][[File:CC1_jackkel_night2.jpg|250px|Night 2]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the day/night variations. Robust little hamlet level with careful attention paid to collision. Lite on resources (good for load time).

Improvements: Could have used higher UVTile on the ground textures. Watchtower looks unlightmapped? Surrounding hills very plateaue-ed and flat. Vista mountain objects? Night sky is extremely blue.

== Ojardsi by Turtlecrunch ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1626 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_OZuwThs Ojardsi v0.12 Video Tour]'''

Ojardsi was first a Tevinter city, and now a crumbling ruin that has attracted a large population of surfacer dwarves. Human stragglers have joined the settlement as well, though they've had to build their houses themselves. And eventually with the humans came the attention of the Chantry, which promptly made its mark on the nascent village. This angered the dwarves considerably, and they have been falling back on old habits, reconstructing their Paragons from memory and building a competing house of worship. With their contemplation of the old religion, most of Ojardsi's dwarves have also returned to a kind of caste system: newcomers to the settlement must live in designated areas with only tents for shelter, and must work many years before they are eligible to join one of the dwarf common houses.

[[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 01.jpg|250px|Chantry and Surfacer Shaperate]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 03.jpg|250px|The pub!]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 06.jpg|250px|Overview]][[File:Trcunch ojardsi v012 07.jpg|250px|Yeah, there aren't any creepy old ruins being desecrated by capitalism here...]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the grandeur of the ruins. Interesting and distinctive use of terrain. Too bad the layout didn't include all the buildings you prepared in the level :(

Improvements: *really* needs terrain collision to block off the no-collision vistas. Would like to see more tesselation to prevent such sharp low-poly edges on terrain. Greater UVTile should have been used to increase rock pixel density. No minimap generated. Gaps in objects could be blocked off with other props.

== Sylvhaven by Princecorg ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1666 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Sylvhaven is a small fisher village located north to Gwaren. It was once a place where merchants, itinerants and any kind of trepassers travelled to.

[[File:Sylvhaven01.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven02.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven03.jpg|300px]]

[[File:Sylvhaven04.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven05.jpg|300px]] [[File:Sylvhaven06.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Love the attention paid to the view out to sea. Nice walkable piers. Some great details with falling leaves, glowing magic fire and animated lights and heaps of carefully placed props.

Improvements: could use some collision to prevent the player WASD-walking off the piers. some pretty unexpected terrain collision on one slope that probably doesnt need to be there

== Hillside Village by AmstradHero ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1673 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

Atop a lush hillside, this small farming village offers respite, shelter and trade for weary travelers. A plateau with a path leading upwards offers an even better view of the houses below. Fields of crops around an assortment of houses, a tree filled landscape and a lake all combine to make a pleasing vista.

[[File:Hillside1.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside4.jpg|300px]] [[File:Hillside6.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Nice dramatic sky, lighting and wind! Great use of a wide variety of props and ground textures.

Improvements: two routes to the upper village might help reduce the tedium of walking up the path. some smoking chimneystacks might compliment the grey sky/mood, even though its daytime.

== Village in the River by Nattfodd ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1670 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/3446/ Bioware Social Network Project Page]'''

Once a mighty stronghold, today this village is inhabitated by Fereldan human people. The architecture of the buildings and the divine atmosphere a visitor can feel, make this village still a safe place to rest and refill. Placed to the extreme northen border with the land of Orlais and used during orlesian wars by both sides.

Not more is known of its original inhabitants; all seems to be very old and builded up in an ancient time ruled by the gods.

[[File:CC1_001_21.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_11.jpg|400px]]

[[File:CC1_001_16.jpg|400px]] [[File:CC1_001_22.jpg|400px]]

=== Judges Comments ===


'''Important: water VFXs required to get water like the screenshots was NOT included in bundle v1-00.
For now, you can get the dazip from the DANexus page to test the level as it was intended until a bundle fix is made.
Sorry for the inconvenience.'''


'''mikemike37'''

Really unique idea. Cool little huts and the terrain-houses turned out nice! Nice gloomy sky and dramatic shadows compliment the imposing ancient building, framed nicely as you enter the gates.

Improvements: Large stone bridge to connect level. More ambient light would allow player to see in shadows. Higher UVTile would give greater pixel density to the ground. Larger area and vista objects would prevent the need to wall off the backdrop in such a flat manner. Consider finding something as pillars to break up the uniformity of the wooden town wall surround.

==Hakkon's Gift by Lord of Fangs==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1630 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

I named this settlement Hakkon's Gift as per the background tale on the DA Nexus page. It can be renamed as appropriate for any module it is used in. Basically, it's a former Avvar village built into the side of a snowy ridge in a newly explored area of the Frostback Mountains, Wintersbreath Pass. It is now populated by hardy Fereldan hunters and trappers. Obviously this can be changed to reflect the module- I tried to arrange the terrain and vista mountains so that the entire scene sloped upward, so that it didn't necessarily have to be located high in the mountains. It could be used as a mountaintop town, a snowy foothill town, etc.

All models are stock- I made heavy use of buildings pieced together from various props to portray a primitive culture. Hakkon's Gift includes two zone entrances/exits on opposite ends of the village, with paths leading away. I included a possible dungeon/adventure zone entrance just outside the village- an ice cave, its entrance frozen over (can be set up with an invisible area transition). A team has broken through and maintains a small entrance into the cave. I tried to set it up so it could be easily ignored (by removing the props or just not adding an area transition) and used simply as a place to visit just outside of town if the module does not have such a dungeon/zone.

Points of interest: Craft enclave and trading post, frozen ponds with ice fishing camps (ice is walkable including large pond just outside village), totem poles to the ancient Avvar gods, a butcher/smokehouse/meat trader, bridge over a frozen ravine, storytelling cave, shaman's hut with ancient runestone, a new building's construction site, Hammerhall (intended as a tavern/mead hall/whatever), frozen cave entrance, thane/village chief's longhouse.

[[File:wbp10a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp29a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp28a.jpg|300px]] [[File:wbp24a.jpg|300px]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Good use of props to give flavour. Love the sloped level and torches and mountain vistas. Ice is a nice touch.

Improvements: would love to see a snowfall weather VFX applied to the whole level. Path could use... something? little stones/posts marking the way/footprints (flat texture prop, like bloodstain props). Ice lakes sould use invisible floor collision to allow pathfinding.

==Evermist by TimelordDC==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1647 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''
* '''[http://social.bioware.com/project/1845/ Part of the Blood and Lyrium Module]'''

Evermist is a village located between West Hill and Highever. The primary sustenance of Evermist is farming, supplemented by fishing.

The village has been designed to offer various areas of interest/story-points:
* A few houses have been built on earth/rock mounds looking almost purposely raised to hold those houses aloft
* There is a separate area for the peasants who work the farms, identified by primitive huts
* The Chantry (or a generic fort-like structure) is in an extremely strategic and defensible position overlooking the village
* There is a sunken house in one of the mounds but without any structural damage, almost as if it was done by magic
* A huge manor house has had its doors closed for a while now though rumor has it that lights can be seen flickering inside in the night
* A boarded house atop one of the mounds has been warded by the Chantry and the villagers have been asked to keep their children away from it
* Though the rich folk living under the shadow of the Chantry never seem to do any work or own any farms, they get richer and have isolated themselves off from the rest of the 'common' folk

There are 2 entrance/exit points to Evermist -> one through the forest near the stream and one near the high walls of the manor.

Additional information for builders:
* The level uses a resized gate fence to fit in with the fence sizes. This is included with the level and is called plc_tl_gatefence. You need to place the folder plc_tl_gatefence in your <addins>/core/override when working on the level.
* Due to the views from elevated areas, the draw distance for some of the vegetation is High.

[[File:Evermist_Birds_Eye_View2.jpg|250px|A bird's eye view]] [[File:Evermist_View_from_Chantry2.jpg|250px|As seen from the Chantry balcony]] [[File:Evermist_View_Across_Market.jpg|250px|A view across the central market]] [[File:Evermist_Walk_Along_Woods.jpg|250px|A tranquil path along the woods]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really vibrant and well-thought out large village level with many uses. Good use of terrain to help features stand out.

Improvements: could really use some more attention paid to collision (use terrain collision walls - pathfinding logic and WASD-movement off cliffs/up steep slopes, many objects can be walked through). One-way wall in large gatehouse.

== Village by the Sea by Talisander ==

* '''[http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1675 Dragon Age Nexus Project Page]'''

A small farming town on the outskirts of a walled city. To the south, a wide sea has swallowed the ruins of the last great empire.

[[File:TalisCC001.JPG|300px|From the Northern Road]]
[[File:TalisCC002.jpg|300px|The Sea]]

[[File:TalisCC003.JPG|300px|The Mountain]]
[[File:TalisCC004.JPG|300px|Sunken Ruins]]

=== Judges Comments ===

'''mikemike37'''

Really visually arresting, lush colour palette! nice little islands dotted in the distance. Great mediterranean seaside atmosphere.

Improvements: level should be nearer to 0,0,0 in editor: quite hard to find! Really wanted to walk through portcullis to see what else was there! Couple of ships dotted out at sea? Yellower sun? Can walk through statue (it has no collision, use terrain collision or an invisible box).

Community Contest 2: Prop Model

2010-08-12T16:53:54Z

-Semper-: /* Helpful links */

[[File:Community_Contest_back.jpg|link=Community_Contest_Main_Page]]

== Brief ==

Create one or more custom prop models for use in a level. The contest discussion thread can be found [http://social.bioware.com/group/2535/discussion/9470/ here].

'''DEADLINE: Monday 27 September''' - your entry must be ready for judging before midday GMT+0. It is strongly recommended you submit well before this time in case you run into troubles. Modifications to your submission are welcomed - the newest version of your entry will be judged, although modifications made after the submission date will not be judged.

=== Requirements ===
All entries must:
* have been tested by the user in a level
* be to a suitable scale
* be textured
* where appropriate, have collision
* be submitted before monday 27 september midday (GMT+0)
* include their save file (3ds max, gmax or blender save) - this helps judges troubleshoot errors you're having.

=== Guidelines ===
Strong entries will:
* fit the art style and canon of Dragon Age Origins.
* make good use of the Dragon Age material system, including textures for diffuse, normal, specular, emissive and heightmap where appropriate.
* contain a placeable and static prop version (affects collision and material only).
* where appropriate, have multiple levels of detail for the model and texture. These are particularly valuable for high-poly outdoor models and high-res textures.
* support lightmapping correctly.
* have a suitable poly count - around 250-500 for small props, up to 2000 for large props
* make good use of texture space to maximise pixel density

== Groups and Prizes ==

=== Groups ===
This contest has only one group.

* 1st place - 15 points, chooses first
* 2nd place - 10 points, chooses second
* 3rd place - 5 points, chooses third
* All other entries meeting requirements - 1 point

To receive an "entry point", your submission must meet the requirements of the contest, listed at the top of this page

=== Prizes ===

Please see [[Community_Contest_Prizes|Community Contest Prizes]]

== Helpful links ==

* [http://social.bioware.com/project/2336/ Eshme's import/exporter for 3ds max and GMax]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8DFXmIGJZc Video Tutorial - Creating props using 3ds max]
* [[Texture_Formats|Texture Formats]] on the Toolset Wiki
* [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialTextures Textures Tutorial for beginners] and [http://bg2redux.student.utwente.nl/trac/wiki/TutorialTexturesAdvanced Advanced] (mostly superceded by the above and Eshme's Tools new material functionality)
* [http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A12BF2F8CC489A50 3DS Max 2010 video tutorials]
* [http://ssbump-generator.yolasite.com Normal Map Generator]
* [http://www.cgtextures.com Texture Reference]
* [http://www.texturearchive.com/default.aspx Texture Archive]

= Entries =

For information on how to enter, please see the [[Community_Contest_Entry_FAQ|Entry FAQs]]

IMPORTANT - consent to share

By entering this competition you consent to share your work for other community members to benefit from.
Where appropriate, source files should be shared.
The model *MUST* be your own
You may use DA textures. Do not include these in your submission.
You may use other people's textures, provided they consent for them to be shared (ex. cgtextures.com allows this type of use)
Others may use and modify your work in their Dragon Age mods, though are encouraged to give credit.
As the entries are judged, local copies will be saved.
If your work is taken down, you consent for it to be re-uploaded, crediting the work in your name. 

== Example Entry ==

Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level.

Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level.

Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level. Here is a description of the level.

[[File:terrainBlockExample.png|400px|example picture]] [[File:terrainBlockExample.png|400px|example picture]] [[File:terrainBlockExample.png|400px|example picture]]

=== Judges Comments ===

Judges will leave comments both as contructive suggestions for the entrant and also as impartial guidance for any looking to make use of your work.

Bug: missing talktables

2010-06-22T19:35:19Z

-Semper-: Created page with '*'''Version found:''' 1.01 *'''Status:''' Open == Description == If you are creating new resources with appropriate entries within the string editor, your exported talktable wil...'

*'''Version found:''' 1.01
*'''Status:''' Open

== Description ==
If you are creating new resources with appropriate entries within the string editor, your exported talktable will not get recognized because your resources won't get flagged right. This means that the ID entries of your talktable are not overwriting the text you entered inside the toolset. That's not so important for all english speaking natives but for foreigners who are using special symbols in their alphabet. These letters are not displayed right without functional talktables. To avoid this you have to use an external tool anakin5 provided.

== Workarounds ==
Just use the tool, drag'n drop your file(s) at the executable and you're done.
[http://social.bioware.com/project/1586/#files]

[[Category:Toolset bugs]]

Bug: Light Map glitches

2010-05-05T15:57:49Z

-Semper-:

*'''Version found:''' 1.0.982.19 
*'''Status:''' Open
== Description ==

After light maps have been rendered, they may contain obvious glitches (e.g. dark triangles, shadows from models that have been deleted, severe brightness / darkness issues etc).

This may be related in part to the hard-coding of "single player" in part of the resource processing pipeline, which has already been identified as a bug affecting water planes.

However, that's probably not the whole story, because deleting the old erf file can improve the results, too (and makes the rendering process much faster).

There are numerous bugs and glitches with the currently available eclipseray 1.2 as you can read at the appropriate threads. e.g.:

== Bugs ==
* black spots randomly placed at the lightmaps around tesselation borders
* shiny blue shade at certain models
* bugged and therefore corrupted lightmap of a chunk if more than one static/animated light lits it
* wrong calculated intensity value of baked lights
* alpha maps are not rendered correctly -> spider webs drop a shadow but they should not do so
* light probes are not rendered correctly -> they all show the same mirrored texture

There is '''no workaround''' for any of the glitches! The dark triangles are directly connected with tesselation borders. If you tesselate your mesh the triangles will wander around the new border where the high resolution grid hits the low resolution grid.

== Workarounds ==


Most lighting bugs seem to go away if you

* Delete any erf files for the level (you may need to close the toolset to do this)
* Switch to the Single Player campaign in the toolset (File > Manage Modules)
* Open your level and do all the rendering and posting in Single Player
* Delete the old level folder from AddIns > [module] > core > override > toolsetexport
* Move the folder you just made in packages > core > override > toolsetexport to that Addins location
* Reopen your module (File > Manage Modules)

If you get a "failed to load" error in Single Player, your level may contain an unnecessary custom object, such as a test creature.

[[Category:Toolset bugs]]
[[Category:Level layouts]]

Bug: no available headmodels

2010-01-24T21:52:06Z

-Semper-: /* Description */

*'''Toolset Version:''' 1.01
*'''Game Version:''' 1.02a
*'''Status:''' Open

== Description ==
First I don't know if that bug affects more creature appearances than golems because I've not tested them all. When you're creating a custom creature with golem base model (stone/steel) their appropriate heads do not display within the dropdown menu. Only (NONE) or SHALE are selectable. None is useless anyway and shale's head won't show up at all, even if you're trying to create a stone golem.

== Workarounds ==
You can use the core creature golems, dublicate them and change their attributes if needed.

[[Category:Toolset bugs]]

Bug: no available headmodels

2010-01-24T20:39:18Z

-Semper-: Created page with '*'''Toolset Version:''' 1.01 *'''Game Version:''' 1.02a *'''Status:''' Open == Description == First I don't know if that bug affects more creature appearances than golems becaus...'

*'''Toolset Version:''' 1.01
*'''Game Version:''' 1.02a
*'''Status:''' Open

== Description ==
First I don't know if that bug affects more creature appearances than golems because I've not tested them all. When you're creating a custom creature with golem base model (stone/steel) their appropriate heads do not display within the dropdown menu. Only (NONE) or SHALE are selectable. None is useless anyway and shale's head won't shop up at all, even if you're trying to create a stone golem.

== Workarounds ==
You can use the core creature golems, dublicate them and change their attributes if needed.

[[Category:Toolset bugs]]