First Birthday Item Contest - Closed

[Gobberwart]

Somewhere among all the tons of stuff we're working on, we suddenly realised that this Saturday, August 29, Paradox is turning ONE! OK, technically Paradox is a bit older than that, but we've been taking open registrations for a year, so we're calling that the game's official birthday. HUZZAH!

"OK, so what?" you're probably thinking. Fair enough. As you know, we like to give players stuff to mark special events, and this is no exception. We've already put together a nice little gift-type thing for everyone, but we need something else. Something... blingy, birthdayish, cool and preferably useful.

So here's the deal... Everyone put your thinking caps on and come up with a birthday bling item and post its details here. The best submission will be turned into an item, the person who came up with it will be credited AND will receive an extra one and maybe a little something else. If we get enough entries, we may have second and third prizes as well.

Here are the rules:

1. The item should be a "bling" item.
2. Provide a complete description for the item, and full details of what it should do.
3. Bonus points will be awarded if you provide a graphic (40x40 transparent PNG image).
4. PLEASE don't come up with a grandiose idea that requires a ton of new code to work. There's just not enough time to code and test it.
5. We reserve the right to modify your idea to fit the game if necessary.
6. If the item is birthday-related, that's going to count in your favour.
7. We're not just looking for ideas here, we're looking for a completed item that we can code and add to the game as-is. That means that you need to write all the text! If it's just a piece of equipment, then it needs the description text. If it has an action (ie. it does something in combat, or it's usable/consumbable), then it needs text for that action. If it has an action that results in stuff dropping, then the item(s) it drops ALSO need descriptions and so on.
8. Enter as many times as you like.

Yes, rule 7 IS hard. We've had to do it for every one of the 400+ items currently in the game. We know. That's another good reaon for rule 4.

Contact me in chat or by pmail if you need some help and I'll see what I can do.

This contest closes at intermission tomorrow, so you have 33 hours from.... NOW. GO!

WINNERS:
First Prize - Birthday Booty Box: Elusis
Second Prize - 1-Candle birthday bling: McFeisty
Third Prize - Jay's cabbage and slug-dripping chips & bottle of Acqua Frizzante Rosa: JimmyBUFFET

[Chachoregard]

Paradoxical Necklace

"This necklace marks an anniversary. You're not sure what KIND of Anniversary, but really, it is rather shiny!"

[Gobberwart]

Chach, please see rule 2.

OK, it's a necklace, but what kind of necklace, what does it look like, what special properties does it have, etc?

[unknownZ]

Very Shiny Special Necklace

This necklace is so shiny, it actually makes you see stuff around you way better. There is a tiny engraved text in the necklace (Which you need a pair of sunglasses to see) that reads "Happy Birthday! No not you! its Paradox Birthday! It would just be weird if it was also your birthday.". <-- The tiny text engraved is a reference to a real birthday Paradox, where 2 people in a group could be born on the same day and have the same birthday.

+5% Item drops.

Image: 40x40 (Not PNG, couldnt die in the last of time I had, and tomorrow I will have no time to do it, But something is better than nothing)
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 ... ace2-1.jpg

Normal Image:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn25 ... klace2.jpg

[Gobberwart]

Failing any other entries, that pretty much works for me. Shiny, not too powerful but worthwhile. Good job.

Anyone else?

[Right2Wrong2000]

Flux Capacitor Bling

This bling is coursing with energy of an unparalleled amount. Its unique "Y" shape allows it to do wondrous things, but be careful not to reach 66 MPH, or your shoes may just catch on fire. Regardless, this thing should help you, and its about time it did. Jiggawatt? Jigga who.

Enchantment: Gives +3 turns at Intermission and occasionally adds hot damage? If possible? Graphic coming soon hopefully.

[McFeisty]

- bad composition, but you get the gist, I hope. Oh, and there's a tiny birthday cake with a lit candle in the bottom of the hourglass, too, you just can't see it. Oh yeah, and now it's a brooch, not a necklace.
Here's a brooch, just downloaded Gimp. Not terribly good, but better than the last. I hope.



Title - Paradoxical Celebratory Birthday Brooch.

Descriptive text - It's about Time. This distinctive brooch celebrates the year anniversary of Paradox the Musical, as you can see by the tiny birthday cake inside an hourglass.
You get the sense that it's a fitting reward for the time you've been alpha testing this wonderful MMORPG.

While equipped, increases non-combat adventures by 5%.

Randomly drops an item during combat that, when used, will add a small number of turns to one's count.

When it drops- Your bling gives your opponent a panic attack about what time it is. It pulls out a pocketwatch to check the time, and then tries to put it back in its waistcoat, but it doesn't have one, so it drops it.
You gain 1 Time Nugget

Dropped Item Title- Time Nugget
Descriptive text - This looks like a tiny gold pocketwatch, but when you open it, it doesn't have a typical watchface, it has a button you can press.
You wonder where the girl and everything are.

When used: After opening and closing the watch a few times, you finally decide to press the button. It's about time! You gain 2 - 5 turns.
Can't be used in combat.

References: Alice in Wonderland's waistcoated rabbit with pocketwatch, and the book/movie The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Everything.

[Gobberwart]

Great ideas guys! Couple of things for everyone though:

1. If the item is birthday-related, that's going to count in your favour.

2. We're not just looking for ideas here, we're looking for a completed item that we can code and add to the game as-is. That means that you need to write all the text! If it's just a piece of equipment, then it needs the description text. If it has an action (ie. it does something in combat, or it's usable/consumbable), then it needs text for that action. If it has an action that results in stuff dropping, then the item(s) it drops ALSO need descriptions and so on.

If you're looking at number 2 and thinking "Wow, that's too much work! I don't want to do that!" just remember - we've had to do it for every single one of the 400+ items currently in the game. We know it's hard

I'll add this to the OP for clarification.

[Gobberwart]

And another update to the OP: "8. Enter as many times as you like." If you have more than one idea, go for it.

[Zammorak]

Name: Error Message

Description: This is an item to symbolize the first anniversary of Parad - WARNING: OUT OF SPACE!

Type: Bling

Bonus: +5 Brains

[Gobberwart]

Good job so far guys! Remember, contest closes at intermission TOMORROW. That's the day after today, which is two days after yesterday and the day before the day after tomorrow, ie. in 26 hours from now.

[Elusis]

Hourglass Timepiece

It's an hourglass that goes on your wrist. For argument's sake you just call it a timepiece, not that it tells time as it seems to be more concerned with a countdown of some sort.

Bonus: Sometimes gives extra turns.

In battle:
You notice your timepiece has paused and decide to give it a light smack hoping it'll get up and just keep going and going and going... After a moment, the countdown continues, then suddenly skips to the end. A shout of "Happy Xth Birthday Paradox!" startles you as the hourglass swivels and turns itself over, not before leaking some digital time on your feet.

You gain X turn(s). (Where X is the number of birthday's Paradox has had, for this year, being 1)

References:
Energizer (batteries).

[Elusis]

"1" Candle

This candle is imbued with the power of 10... Minus 9. Drew Carey was celebrating the one year anniversary of a musical he was producing when you stole this candle from the birthday cake. As you think about it, it wasn't much of a cake, but rather a jack-o-lantern with a "1" candle inside. Odd.

Bonus: +1% to brawn, +1% to brains, +1% to bravado, +1% to stat gains per fight, +1% to food drops, +1% to moolah drops, +1% to item drops, +1% of getting initiative in a fight, +1 to opponent level, +1% chance of fumbling, +1 to max hp, +1 turn at intermission, +1 to all stats, +1% of combat encounters, +1 body part. (+1 Body part is just for fun.)

References:
Power of 10 (tv show).
Gobberwart's pumpkins.
Paradox the Musical.

[Elusis]

(name goes here)

(stuff goes here)

(references go here)

[Elusis]

Oh, all the graphics are from the internet, just resized and made transparent.

Edit: On second thought, I'm too lazy to think of something for the post above this one. Anyone, feel free to use the image. Oh, it's a birthday cake with a candle keychain.

[jimmyBUFFET]

Birthday Pi(e) Neck Pillow
Bling

This is a neck pillow in the shape of the most common mathematical oddity known to man (or woman, for that matter). It feels comfortable around your neck, if not a bit confusing.

This item has a very low chance of preventing an enemy from attacking (much in the same way as the Roll of Infinite TP)

Combat Text
Your enemy sees the pillow around your neck and ponders the deepest mysteries of numerics, just long enough for you to avoid its attack.

Pretty simple, pertinent, and relatively non-helpful while still offering some benefit to owning it...plus, the pie pun is too good not to make.

-jB

[trogdorable]

Paradox Birthday Button

This is a button that says "HUG ME! I'M 1 TODAY." It's not fishing if you aren't asking out loud. Right?

Bonus: +5% combat initiative
-----
NOTE: I havent really noticed any +combat initiative items having a specific message if you do get the jump, but if you wanted to add it and it wasn't too much trouble, the item create this combat message:

"Your opponent reads your button and decides to give you a hug. While they are caught up in the moment, you get the jump on them."

I suspect the combat message may need to be ignored though. I have no idea about what coding to add that message may entail since combat initiative messages seem to be adventure related, not item related....

[Jesus]

"Shiny Birthday Hat Tassel"

Bling- +1 to all stats.

In combat, occasionally "Your opponent is distracted by the sparklies, and gets lost in memories of their own birthday....which luckily, gives you the opportunity to clobber them a good one!"


Description: "Well, doesn't look like you have your Birthday Hat to put this on, but this will sure make that suit look better!"


The catch, if you choose to, would be to give it out every year, on the birthday, and make them combine, say 2 is a +4, 3 +6, something that would reward older players, but not make it too unbalanced.

Also, the 2nd and 3rd year add-ons could end with "clobber them a good one, or two! (or three!!)"

[Gobberwart]

OK, I can see it's gonna be tough to come to a decision here. GREAT job everyone so far. Can't wait to see what we end up with.

Will I announce the winner BEFORE the event? Maybe yes, maybe no

[Zammorak]

Item Name: Clock Faced Goggles

Description: These are standard issue welding goggles, but cooler. It has all of the bells and whistles you have come to expect from Paradox! The Musical over the last year of Alpha. Like very few things in life, they make just as good of a necklace as they do a hat! It really shows that the best things in life are free.

Type: Bling

Effect: +1 turn at Intermission, possible bonus of converting into a hat item.

[Gobberwart]

Wow guys, just wow! The contest is now closed and I can confirm that I have made a selection for inclusion in our birthday celebration giveaways.

Which one? You'll have to wait until Saturday to find out

UPDATE: I had to come back to this and just reiterate how amazingly impressed I am by all of these contributions. There is some real thought that's gone into a lot of these, and it shows. You all made it REALLY hard to pick just one winner. GREAT job!

[unknownZ]

Ive enjoyed reading all these ideas, good luck to everyone

[Gobberwart]

So have I, Z, it's been awesome.

The winning item has been coded and tested and is ready to roll... but I'm *still* not going to tell you which one it is

[Gobberwart]

The winner was... Elusis! Obviously, at least for those who opened their boxes.

Congrats! And yes, I will figure out a prize for everyone else soon.

[Gobberwart]

It was SOOO hard to pick winners in this contest, but here they are:

First Prize - Birthday Booty Box: Elusis
Second Prize - 1-Candle birthday bling: McFeisty
Third Prize - Jay's cabbage and slug-dripping chips & bottle of Acqua Frizzante Rosa: JimmyBUFFET

Everyone else who entered properly will get a cookie! YAY!

Prizes will be sent shortly.

[Gobberwart]

All prizes sent! If you didn't receive yours, let me know.

[eL JoEy]

They were all awesome entries

and congrats to the winners!

[jimmyBUFFET]

yay, thanks guys!

-jB

[ElljaeT]

I know this is a little late (I've been slightly on the busy side) I just wanted to say congratulations to the winners and good work from everyone who participated. Definitely some quality ideas here guys