Sensei Challenge 4 - The Xmas 2006 Challenge

[Sphynx]

'Tis the season to get modelling....

HO HO HO members!

Welcome to the 2006 Christmas Challenge!

What we'd like you to do is come up with an image that portrays this festive holiday season from a Science Fiction perspective.

That's it. Nothing more complex than that. What we are looking for however, is not just originality but an image really portraying the essence of the event - and by original, we don't mean something as brutal as replacing the blades on a sleigh with a couple of nacelles... That will just get you an instant banning and possibly no presents from santa. (As he's a starwars fan, allegedly)

Perhaps you would like to take a traditional christmas scene and give it a Scifi twist; what would Christmas day be like in space, on an Alien world or your home in the future. Maybe your christmas presents have too much AI and demand a share of the Roast Turkey at gun point, or the goose is genetically engineered and grown in orbit to the size of a small moon... Perhaps Hoardes of Robotic snowmen are engaging the human race in a brutal war on some godforsaken snowy planetoid and your image could follow some sort of mail ship making a XMas present delivery to the front line.

Whatever you like, whatever christmas means to you (Within the sites TOS of course) the potential ideas are endless... Just give us the essense of Christmas combined with whatever scifi themes you choose.

The scene should be original and while we'd like you to use your own designs, we will allow the use of existing genres - just make sure that the genre and event makes sense. Having the Emperor and Vader sharing egg-nog in a classic XMas scene is probably not the best way to go. What we don't want you to do is use an existing mesh or scene and just add some elements to make it "XMassy".

Because we're running this over the holiday period, we know that some of you will be smashed out of your brains from turkey stuffing overdoses and too much Klingon mulled blood wine. So, we are going to give you a little more time on this one (err, mainly so we can get over our hangovers). From today, you have until January 5th - the first Friday in 2007 to come up with your final entry.

A tip:

Having too much leeway can be a curse as well as a blessing - make sure you really form your idea up before you start your work!

The Rules:

You can enter as much or as little in your scene as you like, as either a 2D or 3D entry. Just remember that those entering full scenes will probably be able to get the idea of XMas across better that a simple mesh on a plain background.

You can use Christmas itself or a similar event of equal significance and festivity and be of a current or future, real or imaginary, human or alien theme. It must however, be recognisable as this type of event and put across the right atmosphere.

If you go the warfare route, make it humorous, not serious - that's not the focus of the challenge (besides, blood is a bitch to clean off fresh snow).

Your final submission must be no more than 800x600 but it may be oriented in either Landscape or portrait.

You will post a WIP in the Challenge forum, you must show progress on your model / scene / artwork before you submit your final entry, this, among other things, will allow us to make sure everyone is within the rules. For the naming convention, use XMAS2006 - name - scene name (if you have a scene name - you don't have to).

Prizes:

As well as the normal Sensei medals, Sphynx's company is getting into the festive spirit as well and offering small cash prize as well to the value of £50 for the winner, and £30 for the second place entry and £20 for the third (you must have a PayPal account to receive this money).

1st place: SFM Sensei Gold medal displayed under the winners avatar + your artwork shown on the SFM Header + £50 cash prize.
2st place: SFM Sensei Silver medal displayed under the winners avatar + £30 cash prize.
3st place: SFM Sensei Bronze medal displayed under the winners avatar + £20 cash prize.

Most Honourable Member: Green Sensei Medal displayed under the winners avatar, awarded to the most helpful and contructive member in the challenge.

If you have any questions then please ask them in this thread, otherwise:

Good luck to everyone!

[Tinukedaya]

Whoa. looks like I returned from my other work to just the right time. another challenge just starting... Hmm. Too bad I only have a little time before xmas... Somehow everybody want something to buy... not sure why.

uhm... anyhway. nice theme... have to think about something. And well I guess I have one or two ideas. <winks> Lets just hope I can free up some time. It's over a month so I guess I can manage something.

Cheers and good luck to all of you.

[Concade]

This sounds like fun. Nothing like doing a little cheerful modeling to get into the holiday mood. Cheers all!

[Berticus]

I like the demand of food at gunpoint... It reminds me of when I used to- nvm.

I got ideas aflowin already, though its about 2am here, so I'll start tomarrow.
-albert

[Tovette]

Just out of curiosity, what about a fantasy scene. I know it's SCI-FI meshes but can fantasy get a little love? Just wondering where my limits are...

[Stev0]

Originally Posted by Tovette

Just out of curiosity, what about a fantasy scene. I know it's SCI-FI meshes but can fantasy get a little love? Just wondering where my limits are...

Why am I picturing santa's elves coming to assist the defence of Helm's Deep?

[farcry]

Cool, this sounds quite challenging. Gonna spend a few days knocking some ideas around, can't wait to begin!

[Flyingmonkey]

It will be interesting to see how twice the time will affect the entries. I know I'm going to spend a lot more time thinking about it!

[Tovette]

Yeah, I don't really have a good idea yet...

[demented]

I was thinking.... maybe a robot rudolf.....with guns, yeh lots of guns pulling a cargoship full of pressies