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 Contest 27: Pontifex I.

Welcome ...

... to the twentyseventh Bridgebuilder-Game.com Contest! Laze Canon has built another fantastic and challenging level. Everyone is welcome to enter. The full version of Pontifex is required.

 

This contest is generously sponsored by ChronicLogic.

 

The Goals

For the uncertain, the goal is to build the cheapest, most original, best-looking or craziest bridge possible that allows the train to complete the level, while obeying the following simple rules...

The Rules

Read the rules carefully, because they are THE RULES!

There are 2 main bridge categories: 'CLEAN' and 'DIRTY', and the additional 'ARTISTIC' category.

For CLEAN bridges:

  1. The bridge must have NO BROKEN LINKS after all train passes.
  2. The train MAY NOT touch or pass through any bridge parts.


    Example of a bridge failing rule 2
  3. Bridge links MAY touch or pass through the level terrain, but the bridge or bridge parts MAY NOT be based upon the grounds except at the anchor points.
  4. The bridge must work with any train delay beyond the 'settling point'.

For DIRTY and ARTISTIC bridges:

  1. Everything is allowed (broken links, train/bridge contact, auxiliary piers on the grounds), but see below (ALL bridges).
  2. The bridge must work with either with zero train delay or after settling (or in both cases).

For ALL bridges:

  1. The bridge must work on hard difficulty!
  2. Editing the level is strictly prohibited.
  3. You may not exploit bugs or flaws in the game engine (e.g. cable compression, decks with some steel missing, etc.).

Level submission

Your bridge will be located in the 'bridge' sub-folder in your Pontifex folder. Attach it to an e-mail and send it to me using the e-mail links below. Don't use filenames longer than 8 characters.

The e-mail subject must read "[CLEAN/DIRTY/ARTIST] Level: xxx Cost: xxx Name: yyy". Use these e-mail links to make sure you get it right:

The contest ends at 18:00 GMT on Sunday, November 6th 2005. I take no responsibility for e-mail servers being too slow for your e-mail to reach me in time, etc.

I'll put up a list of received entries in the forum during the contest.

Strictly TWO bridges per category per participant are allowed. ALL bridges count as 'artistic' as well, so you don't have to submit your 'clean' bridge twice to get the Bridge Artist title :)

Any discussions on contest bridge costs are to be kept in this special sub-forum. For your own good, it is password-protected. To get the password, first read this.

General comments on the levels and the contest are warmly welcome and should be posted here. This forum thread is also the right place to discuss the rules. If you are unsure whether or not your bridge meets all the requirements, contact me for a clarification before submitting your entry.

Breaking, bending or scratching any of the above rules will result in disqualification.

In the event of a tie, the entry I receive first will be rated better.

The Prizes

Chronic Logic give away two full versions of any game presented on their pages (except Wik; e.g. Bridge Construction Set, Gish) to the winners. One game will be awarded to the architect with the lowest costs for a CLEAN bridge. The other game will be awarded to the architect with the lowest costs for a DIRTY bridge. If either of the two winners declines their prize, as has frequently happened in the past, their prize(s) shall be given away by lot. You take part in the lottery by sending in at least one working bridge. This means that even if you never entered a contest before, there's a really good chance you can win a prize this time! So don't be shy! Send in your bridges!

For the cheapest working CLEAN bridge:

Winner: Eternal glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge General' and the full version of any Chronic Logic game (and 10 points for the Hall of Fame)
1st Runner-up: Temporary glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Major' (and 6 points for the Hall of Fame)
2nd Runner-up: Momentary glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Captain' (and 3 points for the Hall of Fame)

For the cheapest working DIRTY bridge:

Winner: Eternal glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Don' and the full version of any Chronic Logic game (and 10 points for the Hall of Fame)
1st Runner-up: Temporary glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Mafioso' (and 6 points for the Hall of Fame)
2nd Runner-up: Momentary glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Bandit' (and 3 points for the Hall of Fame)

Additional awards:
The Title of 'Bridge Artist' for the best-looking ARTISTIC entry (2 points for the Hall of Fame)
The Title of 'Bridge Inventor' for the most creative entry (2 points for the Hall of Fame)
Possible additional Special Titles as I see fit :)

Many thanks to Chronic Logic for providing the prizes!
The winners will be announced soon after the contest ends. Their names will also appear in the eternal Hall Of Fame.

The Level

The level comes in two flavours:

  • The more convenient one is Laze Cannons Contest 27 installer. Just doubleclick on the .exe file and choose the Pontifex directory,
  • or download the Contest 27 zip and extract the level files to your Pontifex level folder and the texture files to the texture folder. If you choose this option, please read Laze Cannons level comments contained in the readme file.

Load the Contest 27 level of your choice from the main menu using 'Load level'. Don't change the 'Cars' and 'Passes' settings provided.

Some Hints

The levels are not 'empty' but contain some bridge remains (read the level comments for some explanation). By this you can also see all anchor points contained in the level. To start building, click on CLEAR first.

I strongly recommend you carefully read the tips page and check out the forum in case you're not very familiar with the common bridge building techniques.

Good Luck!

The full version of Pontifex can be purchased for $19.95 directly from Chronic Logic: http://www.chroniclogic.com/pontifex.htm


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